Donna A

Although I got in on the tail end of it, I have really appreciated the “free matcha” promotion that Red Leaf has offered. The promotion, along with the positive reviews on Steepster, have spurred me on to go ahead and give flavored matcha a try. The hardest thing has been making a decision on what to order since there are so many exciting choices! I have loved Caramel and Pumpkin Pie, so it was time for something fruity. I found it at http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/boysenberry-matcha.html
This was my first fruity matcha from Red Leaf and I had really been looking forward to trying it because of the great reviews. The delicious aroma of this selection made my mouth water as soon as I opened the packet. I have enjoyed boysenberry syrup on many occasions in the past, back in the days when I used to eat waffles and pancakes. This definitely captures the essence of boysenberry nicely with a great balance between sweet and tart. I was too impatient to pull out the whisk, so I did what others have suggested, and mixed it up with 2 oz of hot water , then added some almond milk, a splash of cream, a small amount of sweetener, and some ice cubes and shook it up to make a chilled latte. I will eventually try it hot, but I have really been in the mood for the chilled lattes lately! So this was the third flavor I’ve had from Red Leaf, and all have been outstanding. I’m afraid they could be somewhat addictive. If you haven’t tried boysenberry, you should! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

I have waited awhile to try this one, wanting to have the time to prepare it Dragonwell style which was the recommended method on Verdant’s website. I measured out 3 Gms and placed it in a very broad shallow 6 oz porcelain teacup which was part of a huge set of hand-painted bone china my great-aunt, a professional china painter, had made for me. The beautifully painted delicate dogwood blossoms on this teacup were a nice contribution to my experience with this tea. I soon ran in to a stumbling block in that I just could not drink it at such a hot temperature, and I was afraid that letting it cool down with the leaves in the cup would change the results quite a bit. So I strained out the leaves and proceeded Gongfu style. Once the first cup cooled some, I was able to thoroughly enjoy it. Though Dragonwell style is suggested as the preferred way, I certainly enjoyed it brewed Gongfu as well. It is delicate, sweet, a little vegetal in a very good way, and certainly not bitter or drying to the mouth. I’m glad I purchased enough of it that I can experiment a little and maybe even try it chilled. To summarize, this is a wonderful Dragonwell, even though I wasn’t able to prepare it in the preferred way.

I had some excitement at my mailbox yesterday when I found my package from Red Leaf tea and I knew my two matcha selections had arrived: Boysenberry and Pumpkin Pie. Which one to try first? With a bit of fall in the air, I decided I was in the mood for Pumpkin Pie. I had high expectations for this one because Caramel, my first flavored matcha from Red Leaf, was so wonderful. Well, Pumpkin Pie was equally fabulous-in fact for my own personal taste, since I am a big pumpkin pie lover, Pumpkin Pie trumps, but you can‘t go wrong with either choice. I opened the packet and immediately knew I was going to like it, since the scent was delicious. So far, I have found I prefer chilled matcha to hot,but I haven‘t tried a latte yet. That might be good. This time, I mixed a teaspoon of the matcha with 2 oz hot water and whisked it until it had some froth. I then put it in a shaker with 15 oz unsweetened almond milk, a splash of cream, and some sweetener. Added a few ice cubes, and Wow, fantastic!! Pumpkin pie without so many calories. I am amazed at how well it captures the real thing. A fabulous frothy dessert. Just go to http://steepster.com/teas/red-leaf-tea/29698-pumpkin-pie-matcha?post=133233to order.

Got the foam I was looking for! So this is my second note on Caramel Matcha. I measured 2 oz of 175 degree water and added a small amount of this water to 1/2 tsp of the sifted matcha, mixing to make a paste. I added the rest of the water and used my bamboo whisk (chasen)to produce the foam. I placed it all in a shaker, added 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, a splash of cream and a bit of stevia and shook it for a minute-nice and foamy! Maybe it’s psychological, but the foam just makes it seem better. It was great the last time I made it, but the preliminary step of using the chasen to get it more foamy before I shook it up with the almond milk made a big difference for me. Can’t wait to try this with the Boysenberry and Pumpkin Pie when they arrive in the mail.

No notes yet.

I appreciated this sample that I received with my order. I have enjoyed every tiguanyin from Verdant, and this is no exception. The light roast is quite pleasing. Being somewhat lazy today, I did 20, 40 and 60 second steepings but put them all in one big cup. I’m sure I’ll get several more infusions. I do not have the gift of discerning and describing all the nuances of each infusion the way people like Terri Harplady do. I’m glad for people like Bonnie, Terri, Azzrian, and numerous others that do this so well on Steepster. All I can say about this particular selection is that it is very good and I’m glad I’m sipping it today.

I should have done a full review before I ran out. This is a blend which includes Verdant’s beloved Laoshan black, along with Willow Grove pu’er,Big Red Robe, and some others. My notes the last time I had it said that it was outstanding. I brewed it Western, rather than gongfu. Even without sweetener (which for me is unusual), I enjoyed this a lot. Brewed 3 gms/8 oz water, 1 minute for the 1st steep and got 5 steepings. This was limited edition, but if David has a similar blend next summer, it’s definitely worth trying.

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

This is just a short note to say I decided to experiment and put 8 gms from sample packets in 16 oz cold water for cold-steeping. 5 hrs later, I tasted it. Whoa! This packs a punch when steeped this way-very bold vegetal taste. I don’t know if it’s spinach or green beans. I do prefer this hot though. Cold, I had to dilute it a little and sweeten it, I guess being so vegetal didn’t go over for me as well in an iced tea as it did in a hot tea.

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

Thanks to Angel at Teavivre for a bunch of samples that came yesterday. Lunch with a friend fell through, so being the tea addict that I am, I thought it was a perfect day for some tea tasting. I was in the mood for an oolong and now I have the time to do several steepings. This is the first time I had tried the flavored version of their milk oolong. Previously, I had enjoyed a sample of the unflavored version. I wish I had the two side by side to compare. I did not brew exactly as instructed. I used 5 gms of tea in my Perfectea Maker, which is similar to using a Gaiwan due to the large brewing basket. I did a quick rinse, then brewed in 6 ounces water at 195. I was afraid of going to boiling since this is a light oolong. I steeped for 1 1/2 minutes to start with and added 30 seconds for each subsequent brewing. I add stevia to all of my tea, and I think it really brought out the flavor in this one. I would describe the overall taste as pleasantly floral and creamy, very nice. As I write this review, I have had 4 good steepings, and will see if I get any more.Thanks Teavivre for a great selection!

I requested this as a sample, thinking it might make a nice iced tea. The base is a full-bodied Assam which holds up nicely to the fruit. I brewed it double strength, added ice and stevia, and found it to be very tasty. I’ll have to try it hot at another time, but I’m am guessing that for my taste, iced is better.

I am going to jump on the band wagon and review my first flavored matcha. Lured by the Red Leaf sale on their Caramel Matcha, and all the positive reviews of it, I ordered the small size, Starter (Basic Grade), with Distinctive Flavoring (found here:http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html). Since I had not yet gotten a matcha whisk (chasen), I was concerned if I made it the traditional way it would not be up to par. On the other hand, I was too curious to wait on the chasen which I had ordered separately. Therefore, I decided to forge ahead. First, I sifted ½ teaspoon of the matcha to get any lumps out and then mixed in about 3 ounces of hot water. I shook it up in a shaker and added about 3 ounces of unsweetened almond milk, a splash of cream, some stevia and a few ice cubes. It was really delicious chilled, just like eating dessert. I can see why it has had such good reviews. I can only imagine what it will be like when I get my whisk and can create some foam! If this is any indication of the quality of other matcha selections from Red Leaf Tea, I will be ordering many more.

I received this as a sample thinking it might make a good iced tea and it is delicious! I steeped 2 tsp with 8 oz water at about 195 for 3 minutes. Then I added ice and a little Stevia. Perfect. No bitterness and the mango flavor did not overpower the black tea. It is full leaf and the ratio of tea to fruit in the bag is very good, unlike some brands where it is mostly fruit and little tea. I may try this hot next time, but I have a feeling I will mainly use this for a refreshing ice tea.

No notes yet.

I returned from a weekend getaway to cooler weather in Atlanta, so before I even unpacked I was thinking about what tea I might be in the mood for. I don’t usually jump for the whites first, but for some reason, I pulled out the Laoshan White that I received in early August. I used 4 Gm for 6 oz water at 175 starting with a quick rinse followed by a 20 second steep, just as suggested. I increased the steep time to 25 seconds for steepings 2-3, and 35 seconds for steepings 4-5, getting plenty of flavor all the way through. I would agree with others who commented that this was unlike many whites; it had more flavor than I expected and literally filled my mouth with its juicy freshness. The flavor was reminiscent of the smoothness and lingering sweet aftertaste of something I’ve had before, but I’m not sure what—very satisfying though. Now, what to do next? Unpack, or sample another Verdant tea?

My adult son who is visiting for the weekend and I sipped this excellent green tea this afternoon-it was my second experience with it as a result of ordering the green tea assortment samples. I am picky about green teas, but I am excited about this one, and my son thought it was wonderful also. It has everything I am looking for in a quality Long Jing. Tomorrow we will try the Superfine Pre Ming Dragonwell for comparison. I used the whole 7 gm packet with 8 oz. 175 water.1st steep 1 min, then 2nd and 3rd steeps 2 min

This is a repeat of my posting on Teavivre:I steeped the entire 7 gram sample in 8 oz for a minute at 190. I find that I like green tea as long as it is not bitter This one is very enjoyable-plenty of flavor and no bitterness. (I add stevia to all my tea though.)7g of these long green leaves is quite a few tsp. If you only measured 1 or 2 tsp, might be too weak I would think. Better to weigh it on a scale and use 7 gm as they recommend. I got several steeps.

This came as a surprise sample with my last order. Using 4 gms in 4 oz of just under boiling water, I brewed it Gong Fu style in a series of short steepings. Borrowing a word from a description about this tea from Verdant’s own website, I would say “luscious” about sums it up for me. I was a little lazy and mixed 4 steepings together for my son and I to share, so I can’t comment on the differences between steepings like others have. Suffice it to say, it is a worthy addition to the cupboard and will be on my next order.

Previously, I have combined this with sweet oolong revolution or maharaja chai oolong for an iced tea, but never had tried it hot as a stand alone. It worked well as a mixer, but I especially enjoyed it by itself. I used 2 tsp/8 oz and added some stevia. The predominate flavor was delicate orange. I would buy again to drink in the evening. It exceeded my expectations.

My husband and I have been enjoying multiple steepings of this today. We think it is quite good. After sampling about 6 pu-ehrs, some raw, others ripened, I have yet to find one I didn’t like. Whether my ratings are of much value is debatable, since I know the very best pu-erhs never leave China. So it’s all relative. But there is nothing not to like about this one-it has plenty of flavor. It is earthy, mellow, smooth and holds up to a lot of steeps.